As a fan of any of Disney’s dining plans, we know our way around the menu! In fact, we’ve challenged ourselves to not eat any sort of “theme park food” during our stays which include chicken fingers, burgers, and hot dogs. Surprisingly, it’s easier than I expected it to be if you know where to look! So today we’re going beyond burgers around Walt Disney World.

And where else to start but with the most difficult park – The Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom is best known for being the family friendly park. It’s a crowd favorite and therefore I think it tries to cater to the masses which means a lot of basic menu items and a lot of kid friendly items. If you want to avoid that theme park food experience, check out…

Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn – a new Mexican style flair which is going a year strong and something that was definitely needed in a park full of burgers. Combine that with the toppings bar and you can easily have a meal for 2 with just 1 quick service credit.

Be Our Guest – This would be at breakfast or lunch ONLY since dinner is table service. And a big note – this is the only quick service location that requires reservations so advanced planning is needed here!

Columbia Harbour House – with things like Fish and Chips and Lobster Rolls, it’s a unique menu and located toward the “middle” of the park so it’s fairly easily accessible from anywhere!

From the most difficult, to the easiest…over to Epcot! With ethnic flairs around World Showcase and even running into a location in Future World, there’s a lot to be had here! It’s a place I wouldn’t plan for too many sit down meals because quick service is delicious and gives you more time to explore fun new and old as well as a lot of great characters!

If you’re in Future World, check out Sunshine Seasons on the first floor of the Land Pavilion. This is the same location you’ll find Soarin’ and Living with the Land so if you plan your FastPasses accordingly, you can Soar around the World and then have a great meal!

If you find yourself in World Showcase without a dining reservation, check out Mexico, China, Morocco, England, Japan, and my favorite – France for unique menu items without a burger or fry in sight!

Hollywood Studios is another park that is similar to Magic Kingdom with many locations serving burgers and fries, but there are a few unique options!

The new PizzeRizzo opens this week with pizzas, pastas and a meatball sub that looks really amazing!

Starring Rolls is a great option for those with the a sweet tooth – while there are not a ton of quick service menu items, it’s a great way to find a sweet treat after you’re done with your lunch or dinner!

Fairfax Fare has the most unique menu items with ribs and BBQ pork recently added to the menu. It’s a great little stop on your way over to Fantasmic – you can bring food in!

Most of Animal Kingdom‘s food is unique so you’ll happily find flavor and beyond burgers all over the park. Some highlights for me:

Flame Tree BBQ – You’ll see this well rated by guests across Disney blogs. Good BBQ, fresh flavors, and a nice view!

Yak & Yeti Counter Service – This is actually my favorite choice in Animal Kingdom. It’s a taste of the table service location with portion sizes that are more comfortable for my stomach (anyone that follows me knows that we often share meals at table service and quick service location when it’s possible so it’s a nice medium that would allow us to share if we’re not really hungry but lets eat our own portion if we didn’t have a big breakfast!)

Outside of the parks, Disney Springs has a plethora of unique options!

Earl of Sandwich – great for folks not on a dining plan because the price point is very reasonable by Disney Standards

Along the same lines, Blaze Pizza. We have one locally so it’s not a location we will frequent in Disney but the food is good, reasonably priced, and can be shared quite easily!

Wolfgang Puck Express has good pasta and pizza options with massive portion sizes!

BUT let’s not forget about the resorts! While all resorts have their own take on dining with unique themes based on location, there are some that are a cut above the rest – no pun intended!

Art of Animation’s Landscape of Flavors is somewhere we’ll go no matter where we stay. It’s worth the trip! I could easily eat a few menu items on a daily basis and my husband loves that there are some Indian inspired dishes on the menu!

The Mara at Animal Kingdom Lodge. This is another location that gives some African spices and flavors to the menu items. There’s a great BBQ flatbread on the menu that we would happily eat multiple times in a single trip! It’s a bit of a hike, but if you’re staying at Animal Kingdom Lodge or Villas, it’s worth checking out!

Contempo Cafe in Contemporary Resort. A quick hop skip and a monorail ride away from Magic Kingdom, it’s a great place to dine outside of MK if you want a break or if you want some good food. Hot and cold sandwiches, flatbreads, and salads are all good!

Capt’n Cooks in Polynesian Village. Similar to Contemporary – a quick monorail ride away and a nice break from the parks. Nachos, adult grilled cheese, and unique Polynesian style means available and it’s a great rest break from what can be a long day at Magic Kingdom!

Are you up for the beyond burger challenge in Disney World? It’s actually easier than you think! Bon appetit! Ready to get started planning your 2017 Disney World vacation? Please contact me at any time for a free quote. The benefits to using an agent that is part of authorized Disney vacation planner include saving time before and during your vacation with itinerary planning which can help save you hours of standing in line each day. Plus you won’t have to watch for available discounts, research resorts, wake up early for dining reservations, or stay up late for FastPasses. The best part about using a travel planner instead of planning yourself? It’s totally FREE! Plus I’ll take away some of the stress and confusion of planning a Disney vacation (especially if it’s your first one!) It’s also a worry free vacation opportunity. I’ll walk through through all of the steps to the process with a few little insider tips along the way! If you already have your vacation planned and are interested in transferring your vacation, ask me how!